Western Kansas world., 1887-01-15

condemned without Withholding nom th
public any facts Of valne or importance. !
striking illustration Of this subject isafIorde
In the admirable report Of the state treasure
for the biennial period ended Juns 50, 1881
The reperte ct the treasurer for proyiou
pears have embodied d great mass o
tables and statistics which were duplioate(
s. The report Of The a1ditoe Of stato. Thu
IA tIea0rex,sA xen0kk- -fnE thA- tWo- 1eca
years snaing June ri, 1854, made voIun
Of 260 pages, while his report for the las
biennial period is comprised in 1O8 pages
Yet the last report, although condensed int.
less than half the space, and costing 81, ,65
less presents a full and intelligent statemen
of tie busin 90 of the treasury department.
and q far moro comprehensive exhibit o
the financial condition of the state than doe
the report for the biennial period ende(
June 30, 1884.
Anoti,er illustration of useless printins
may be found in the report of the trusteel
| of state charitable Institutions Seventy
six of the 2l9 pages of that report are occu
pied by tabular statements of supplies or
hand, purchased and issued, materials draw1
and returned, inventories of property, arti
/ OlOo PuICu0oOO, 0tCs xuOc0 6t8t6Iu00U 8Ie
all "rule and figure work." costing double
or treble price for composition. No
public interest is subserved By their print
ing, for they embody no information of in
terest or value to the people. Such state
ments might be submitted, in writing, fol-
the consideration of the Legislature, or fled
with the state auditor, but it seems to me
that it is useless, not to say absurd, to in
olude them, year after year, in printed re-
ports.
| Similar accounte, inventories, ETC., are
published in the reports of the officers of the
penitentiary, and have directed your at
tention, in other portions of this message,
to like instances of unnecessary print
ing:
to criticism for such publications az these.
The laws, either by specific direction or by
implication, require the fullest detailed in
formation from them, and the custom of
years, with the full knowledge and assent of
the Legislature, has added the weight of its
authority to this practice. But it is time to
put q stop to this useless expense. Each
year, as the departments and institutions of
the state multiply and grow, the reports Of
number, and the tendency to include in
them matter of no public value or interest.
is constant. The legislature should, there
fore, make thorough investigation of this
whole subject, and give specific directions
touching it, to the end that all unimportant
matter may be eliminated from published
reports, and that duplication of satisfies
and facts may be avoided. An enormous
reduction in the annual printing bill of the
state can thus be effected.
In this connection, it seems proper, also,
to call your attention to an abuse that has
grown up during recent years in the legisla-
ture, and Whi,h results in large and un-
necessary expense. Very many of the bills
submitted in one house 70 introduced, in
duplicate, in tho other, and are ordered
printed BY each, thus incurring double e1-
Lense. Many reports, too, are printed in
full in the journals of both houses. The
biennial messages of the governor to the
legislature are printed in the journals of
both houses, as were also the accompanying
reports transmitted to the legislature during
tho special session held last year. If rule
was adopted forbidding the printing of bills
in duplicate, and if a joint committee on
mine in which journal messages or reports
should be transcribed and published, q
material reduction of expense could be
effected.
THE PROHIBITION Law.
Three general elections have been held in
Kansas since the adoption of the prohibi-
tion amendment to the constitution. At
Zach of these elections the people have re-
q f3rn . their decision against the mar fac-
.ure or sale of Intoxicating liquors "a a bev-
erage,'by electing Legislatures pledged to
tho support Of the anendment. At the ele c.
ton in November last this question was u
paramount i.sue, and again, by an emphatic
majority, the sovereign verdict Of the poo-
pie was pronounced against tho saloon. No
fair minded citizen can, no law respecting
citizen will, refuse to respect this judgme n.
II is your duty, gentlemen of the legisla-
ture, to sec that laws are enacted which will
give practical effect to tho decision of the
people on this question. :! stated, in my
message q year ago, that while the law of
1885 embodied some defects, its general re-
suits had been very favorable. have seen
no occasion to reverse this Judgment. A
great reform has certainly been accom-
plished in Kansas. Intemperance is steadily
md surely decreasing. In thousands of
homes where want and wretchedness and
were once familiar guests, plenty,
Thousands of wives and children are better |
,lothed and fed than they were when the
|aloons absorbed all the earnings of hus- |
,ands and fathers. The marvellous material |
yroNth Of tho state during the past ak |
7ears has been accompanied by an equally |
marvellous moral progress, and it can be |
airly and truthfully asserted that in no
md half of people be found who are more |
than the people Of Kansas.
NECESSARY AMENDMENTS.
The prohibitory law, however, enbodies
ome defects, and should be amended.
First-The authority it vests in probate
Judges is arbitrary, and may be, as IN Some
ases il has been, abused. faprobate Judge /
rants druggists permit to person OF
ad character, any citizen should have
light to appeal from the judges decision to
be district court, and show that such per-
nit should be revoked. And, on the other
and, if q probate Judge refuses q permit to
druggist of good character, the druggist
hould have right to appeal, in his own be-
alf to the district court, and show, il he
IN, that he has been unjustly Disseminated
gainst.
Second Instead of the statements now
ow fled, in purchasing liquors for medical Il
1echaniesl or scientific purposes. an sff-
ayit should be required, and druggists
hould be authorized to administer oaths. /,
evere penalties should be imposed on any !,
l. Al L